Love Defies All Odds
by seiyo
Summary: chapters 4-6 here! KoenmaxBotan piece. Years after, a new evil has emerged in Makai and the Reikai Tantei have to stop it. But what if they can't? As for Botan, what connection does she have with this evil?
1. Default Chapter

odds1

Disclaimer: Except for the three new ones, all characters presented are owned by Yuyu Hakusho and its creator, Yoshihiro Togashi. All standard disclaimers apply so please, don't sue me for anything. 

Hi reader! This is my first fanfic ever so please, bear with me. I'm open to all suggestions and criticisms. You can mail me at [seiyo@hotmail.com][1]. Here goes… 

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS 

By Seiyo 

Chapter 1 

The beautiful woman was looking out into the night sky, her long blue tresses flowing with the wind. She was caressing her tummy enlarged now by pregnancy. She stiffened as a pair of hands coming from behind embraced her, but then she relaxed and rested her head contentedly on the chest of the handsome, hazel-eyed man upon recognition. They stayed that way for a while until the man broke the silence. 

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" he asked as he kissed her temple. 

Letting out a soft moan, she replied, "Better, now that you're here." 

"And the baby?" 

"Let's just say he's already asleep…" 

Silence fell over them once more as the couple stared out into the starry night. 

"The skies always looked beautiful here in Ningenkai…" the woman whispered softly. 

Yes, the crowned prince of Reikai is staying for the moment at Ningenkai with his wife, the cheerful Reikai ferry girl and guardian deity of the dead, Botan. The two have been married for two years now. This time it's already Botan's ninth month of pregnancy on their first child and the two had decided that the modern hospitals of the human world is the best place to deliver the baby. All Koenma's work is delivered to him for convenience. 

"You're right, and the night sky is especially beautiful tonight," Koenma nuzzled Botan closer. 

"I can't wait for our child to be born," Botan mumbled, a smile forming on her lips. 

"I wish it would be a boy, Honey." 

"Well I would love to have a girl." 

"Botan…" 

"Okay, let's not fight over this one." 

The two stopped talking for a while and resumed their watch on the stars. 

"Botan…" 

"Yes dear?" 

"What are you thinking of?" 

Botan let out a sigh before replying, "I was just thinking about us. I'm so happy that you're here with me. Add the fact that we're about to have a baby. We're so far from the times that we almost lost each other…" her eyes sparkled. 

Koenma made Botan face him and looked her straight in the eye. "Honey, those things would never happen again. Nothing can take you away from me and I will never leave your side again." He then embraced her tightly. After a while, he slightly loosened his hold and gazed at her beautiful face. "I love you Botan…" 

"Oh Koenma, I love you too…" she gazed back at him. 

Their eyes locked and then their lips met in a kiss so sweet that it seemed that the world had stopped turning and nothing else mattered. The emotions they felt filled the air with promise that they would never again leave each other's arms… A promise they had made some years ago… 

@@@

"BOTAANN!!!" 

The shout echoed throughout the whole Reikai palace. 

"Ouch!" Botan mumbled as she picked herself up from the floor where she landed after she was dislodged from her seat. 

"I wonder what Koenma-sama wants this time," she grumbled as she walked on the corridor leading to Koenma's office. She opened the door and there in front of her sat Koenma in his 'adult version', examining and signing his ever-present stack of documents. 

Botan waited for Koenma to acknowledge her presence, but clearly, he didn't notice that she was already there. She sighed exasperatedly and then announced herself, "I'm here Koenma-sama." 

"Botan! You're finally here." 

"You mean you finally noticed that I'm here. What's happening to you Koenma-sama? I've been standing here for ten minutes and you never looked up once from those papers. Didn't you even feel that someone entered your office? What if someone else sneaked into your office and--" 

"Would you stop for a while Botan!" Koenma cut her off and Botan stopped in midsentence, bit her lips and blushed 

"Okay, I'm sorry if I didn't notice you right away," Koenma looked at her and noticed her cheeks turning red with embarrassment, "I'm also sorry for shouting at you," he smiled at her. 

"I'm also sorry. I don't have any right to nag you like that. I was just thinking that if I were another person, something else might have happened to you," she looked at him in the eye. 

"That's okay, I know that you're quite annoyed. Anyway, I appreciate your concern." Koenma looked back at her as her face reddened once more. 

"So, what were you supposed to ask from me Koenma-sama?" 

"Well, I wanted to ask you to go with me to Ningenkai. I found out about something important and we have to inform the Reikai tantei all about it." 

"I guess this is very serious matter huh?" 

"Yeah." 

"Well what are we waiting for?" 

"What do you mean?" Koenma looked at her inquiringly. 

Botan raised an eyebrow at him, "Koenma-sama, if this information is really important, we should locate Yusuke and the other as soon as possible right?' 

"Oh, right," he said as he regained his composure, "Let's go!" 

@@@ 

"Hahaha! So you're telling us that this girl didn't do anything but smile at you and say 'Oh!' Hahaha! That must have been really annoying!" Yusuke was clutching his belly, his other hand pointing at Kurama while barely able to speak between laughs. Kuwabara, also sitting beside them was laughing so hard he almost fell of his seat! 

"Haha! Very funny," the annoyed Kurama said to his friend in a sarcastic voice, "Will you stop laughing! I don't see the point with laughing at me," he turned away and sighed, "I wonder when will I find my match?" 

Upon hearing this, Kuwabara's expression changed, "Honestly Kurama, do you really want to meet the girl of your dreams?" 

"Well, I—Whoa!" Kurama turned upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, "Koenma! What are you doing here?" 

"Did you come here to visit us?" Kuwabara added, obviously surprised at Koenma's arrival. 

"We came here to see all of you," Koenma answered, his face serious. 

"We? I don't see anyone with you," Kuwabara looked past Koenma's shoulder. 

"I came with Botan. As of now, she's on an errand." 

It was Yusuke's turn to speak, "Don't tell me you're here because you accompanied Botan on her errand! The very busy Koenma Daiou accompanying Botan on her errand…hmm… now that's something new," He looked at Koenma suspiciously and added, "Is there something going on between you two?" 

Koenma was surprised by the question but was able to recover, "I'm sorry to disappoint you but my reason for coming here has nothing to do with that. There is a new mission, and a very important one. There's no time to waste. We have to go to the Reikai so I can give you further information," Koenma answered 

"Oh, so what else is new?" 

"How about Hiei?" Kurama spoke up, "Isn't he in this too?" 

"Hi guys!" a cheerful voice shouted at them. 

They all looked towards the direction of the voice. There, standing beside the door was the Reikai ferry girl! 

"Botan!" they all said in unison. 

Botan was looking behind her, with one hand at her back as if pulling something. Hearing the greeting, she looked at them, smiled, then glanced back at whatever she was tugging. "It's nice to see you all…and I'm sure you'll also be happy to see who I have with me," with a great effort, she tugged once more at the 'thing' until it came into view. 

"Hiei!!!" the guys shouted in surprise and then burst out laughing. 

There struggling from Botan's firm hold on his tunic was Hiei. 

"I guess you did your job well Botan," Koenma looked at her trying to suppress his laugh. 

Botan released Hiei who was sending dagger-like glares at her. 

"Hn," Upon being set free, Hiei turned his back from her. This sent everyone laughing once more. 

   [1]: mailto:seiyo@hotmail.com



	2. chapter 2

odds2

A/N: Well, here goes the second installment to my fic. There's a little bit of the mission and a little bit of Botan. Hope ya like it. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Yuyu Hakusho, only the three new characters in this fic. 

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 2 

"It's a long time since I've been here," Yusuke mumbled while looking around at the details of the Reikai palace. 

"Yes, and I swear it didn't look like this before," Kuwabara agreed with him. 

"Hn," Hiei merely stood there thinking of how stupid his two companions looked like. 

"I brought you all here so you could learn more of your new mission and not for you to look around," Koenma, seemingly annoyed, told them, "Now can we please go back to our real business?" 

"You guys," Kurama called to the two, "We better talk about this new mission." 

The Reikai tantei and the prince are now at the corridors of the Reikai palace where Koenma wishes to elaborate on the new mission. They went inside Koenma's office, who walked up to his desk and picked a folder. 

"This new mission I'm talking about is a very serious one. Our enemy hasn't done much damage yet, but I'm sure that something big is about to come. She—" 

"SHE?!" Yusuke interjected. 

"Yes, your enemy is a woman named Akuma," Koenma willingly explained and at the same time, showed them a clip of a blonde woman, clad in velvet robes. 

"I get the feeling that we're coming to the era where women are calling the shots," Kurama uttered. 

"Hah! It would be easy to defeat this woman, whoever she is," Kuwabara stood up and striked a pose, "One look at the great Kazuma Kuwabara and she will fall head over heels in love," the three facefaulted and Kurama and Yusuke fell over. All were trying very hard to suppress their laughter, "After that we can manipulate her without any problem." 

"Uh…I'm sure that won't have to happen," Yusuke spoke up. 

Koenma cleared his throat, "Enough talk. As I was saying, Akuma has already started gathering allies from Makai and in no time, she would be able to start with whatever plans she has for us." 

"So what does this Akuma really want? I mean, what could be her purpose?" Kurama questioned. 

"There is a big possibility that her reason for attack is caused by a certain person or event in her past. You see, she has been locked up for five thousand years now." 

"Whew, that's a long time," Yusuke mumbled. 

"Right. She was locked up by Queen Suisho. According to our records, she had been the Queen's right hand and was a very loyal subject. In fact, she had been very efficient during her service. Apparently, she had a hidden agenda for serving the queen. When she thought she had gotten the queen's full trust, that was when she striked. She had recruited a number of troops to attack. Akuma is not a really a skilled fighter but carries a great power that she can skillfully manipulate. Fortunately, Queen Suisho didn't really trust her that much and was able to hold Akuma back. She locked Akuma in a sphere which works with the aid of a process which works much like your modern cryogenics, then sent it someplace." 

"Cryo-what??!!" Kuwabara shouted. 

"Cryogenics," repeated Kurama, "it had been studied that bodies can be frozen in liquid nitrogen and resuscitated when the future comes." 

"You mean she froze Akuma?" Yusuke asked, "Why not just kill her?" Hiei, on the corner finally spoke up. 

Koenma shrugged, "Queen Suisho is not just your conventional queen. There are some things about her that you wouldn't expect." 

"How in the world was she able to get out?" Kuwabara asked in puzzlement. 

"Well it appears that one of the advisers in the Queen's court named Shinichi looked for where she was hidden and had set her free. Hehad known about Akuma's hidden agenda even before she started acting on it. He had secretly followed on Akuma's dealings, but didn't say anything about it. After she was locked up, life went on for him. After Queen Suisho's reign he dropped his position and nothing was heard of him. It seems that he had taken an interest in scheming with Akuma. That's why he looked for the place where she was, and now, Shinichi has found her and set her free. He must have thought that without the Queen, no one can ever stop them," Koenma paused and sighed. "This information is actually unexpected because Shinichi was one of the most loyal to the Queen Suisho. No one has ever thought that he would do something like this. 

"He must know how powerful the Queen was and he just sided with her because he knew what might happen to him if he goes against her," Kurama looked up, "Tell us more about Queen Suisho," Kurama requested. 

"Hmm…okay. Queen Suisho was a queen apart from the others. When she was young, she really didn't want to have anything to do with palace affairs. Some say that she was quite unruly. She longed to do adventurous things. In our time, she's what you would call hyperactive. Unfortunately, her father died an untimely death and she was the only successor. Her duties had hindered her from doing most of the things she enjoys. It's a good thing Suisho was a quick learner and soon, she was taking her palace duties on with her stride. Her people described her as a strong woman, willing to face any problem for her people. At the same time, she had a good sense of humor and creativity that made her reign, lively and stable at the same time. They considered her as one of the greatest rulers of all time." Koenma then showed them a small portrait of a woman with aquamarine hair and turquoise eyes with delicate facial features. "It's strange though that we have no records of her after she passed away." 

"If you'd ask me, she sounds like Botan," Kuwabara commented. 

"Yeah, she even resembles her up to some extent," Yusuke added. 

"How did she lock up Akuma?" Kurama, ignoring the comments, asked. 

"That's what we are trying to find out. These files are old and some have already been worn out over the years, but they say that she had kept something in her possession. Hopefully, we'd be able to restore most of these documents and find out more about her," Koenma studied the documents then looked up, "By the way, where's Botan?" 

Yusuke shrugged and looked at Kuwabara 

"Don't look at me. Ask Kurama. " Kuwabara then pointed at Kurama's direction. 

"I have no idea." 

Hiei turned towards them. "She slipped off while we were walking."

"Finally, my room," Botan mumbled to herself as she held the doorknob to her room. She had crept away from the others after deciding to leave the five alone to themselves while discussing the new mission. 

Upon entering her bedroom, she let herself fall on her comfortable bed. 

"Rest at last," she closed her eyes. However, sleep wouldn't come to her. She kept remembering Koenma and the new mission. _So that's why he's been busy lately. That mission has occupied his mind completely. She stood up, walked to her dresser and looked at the mirror. __If there wasn't so much to do, Koenma would have walked with me around the garden during afternoons, she thought as she remembered when she and Koenma would stroll around the palace grounds, talking of different topics. She remembered how her heart soared at the simple gesture of Koenma handing a single flower to her. She missed those long walks, those hearty conversations. __I wonder when will I be able to spend some time with him again. _

A glint in the shadows caught her eye. She looked down to see whatever it was. _Oh, it's only the crystal. She got the piece of crystal about the size of a golf ball, only slightly flattened. It was cut into a heart-shaped form and glimmered in the faint lighting like a diamond. She sat down in front of the dresser and sighed. She remembered how she got hold of the thing… _

Botan was taking a walk in the forest near the palace to soothe her nerves. She was weary from her day's work, ushering all those poor souls and all. Not only that. Koenma was also angry with her after she had accidentally bumped into his table and all the documents he was arranging ended up on the floor. He was almost done and was only getting ready to attend to some business in Ningenkai. 

She rested underneath a tree and looked up into the skies. _I hope Koenma would have forgotten about what happened earlier once I come back. She closed her eyes. _

"Uhmm…" Botan hastily opened her eyes upon feeling a drop of water falling on her forehead. It was already dark. _I didn't know that I had fallen asleep. Must have been because I was so tired. She picked herself up from the ground and walked away. Hours passed but she remained inside the forest. She looked around hoping to see any sign that would lead her home, but there was nothing. __Oh my, I did I lose my way. If only I didn't fall asleep, I'd still be able to find a way out of here. She continued walking, the rain and winds were getting stronger every minute. Worse, she was feeling tired, cold, wet and hungry. She hugged herself and leaned on the trunk of a huge tree. Botan was on the verge of tears. __I don't know what to do anymore. Thunder struck. The lightning made the trees look sinister demons ready to get her. Botan cringed inwardly. __Calm down Botan. You can do it. She took a deep breath, __I have to keep on walking, then stepped forward. The storm raged as she walked until her eye caught a flash of light. __What was that? She followed the direction from where she saw the tiny glint then bent down. Her eyes widened. There, partially covered with soil was a piece of exquisite crystal. Botan took it raised it so she can get a better look. At the same moment, lightning came once more. She held the crystal tighter, her eyes widening a little more. The lightning illuminated the path in front of her; a path she recognized immediately as the one she always took when heading towards the forest. She felt a surge of energy run though her veins. __I found it! I found my way home. She began taking the path. She was nearing the clearing towards the garden when she felt her knees give way.__No! I'm almost there. She forced herself to take a step but she felt so weak, she fell on the ground. As tears fell on her cheeks she heard a faint rustle up front. _

"Botan!!! Where are you?!" a voice pierced into the night. 

"Botan! Answer us!" another voice came 

Botan raised her head. Someone was calling her name. _They're looking for me! _

"Help! I'm over here!" she used her remaining energy to shout. 

"Botan!" A shout came from in front of her and then she saw Koenma rushing to her side. 

"Koenma…" 

"Hush," Koenma stopped her, "don't speak, you're still too weak." 

He gently touched her cheeks to wipe away her tears then carried her in his arms towards the palace. There they met George Saotome. 

"George, call on one of the servants to dress her in dry clothes and order some food to be brought up to her room." 

Koenma carried her up to her room and laid her on her bed. 

"Everything will be all right now," he whispered to her ear as he held her hand and sat beside her. 

One of the palace servants came to change her clothes, he nodded at the servant and told her, "I'll be back in a little while." 

She sighed and knitted her eyebrows upon noticing that she was still holding something in her hand. She opened her palm and gazed at the crystal. Her eyes became tender and a smile formed on her lips. _This crystal had led me back home. Thank you… _

She closed her eyes and clutched the crystal closer to her heart. After that night, she had kept the crystal as one of her most precious possessions. It had kept her feeling safer and assured. Now something new is bugging her. _I feel something bad is about to come. There's something about this new mission that makes me feel anxious. Remembering that night woke something in her senses. _

"Oh Koenma," she whispered his name in the darkness. She loved him. She had known that in her heart even before that stormy night and had kept it there for so long. "Why does it seem to me that something is about to happen and that it will change the course of our lives? Why?" 


	3. Chapter 3

odds3

A/N: Third part. Finally! I get to write something about the villain's plans. And I forgot to mention last chapter, I have a ruling for my fics when it comes to italics and borders. The italicized portions represent the thoughts of the character, not their words while the norders represent scene changes. That's just to clear things up. Now let's get on with it.

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 3 

Early in the morning the Reikai tantei and Koenma assembled in the garden. Koenma was discussing what they are about to do. 

"It would be best for us—" 

"Us?" Kuwabara interrupted. 

"Yes, I would be going with you in this mission." Koenma answered patiently. 

"Oh, okay," Kuwabara shrugged, "That's fine with me." 

"Good. Now, as I was saying, we should head for Makai as soon as possible." 

Kurama nodded, "We should stop Akuma from gathering forces." 

"Makai is a big place. Do you know exactly where we could find them?" Yusuke asked 

"Actually, no," Koenma shook his head then glanced at Hiei, "but that won't be much of a problem." 

"Hn." 

"For the moment, you can roam around or train with your ki." 

Upon hearing this, Hiei quickly disappeared towards the direction of the forest while the other three headed to the palace. 

"Good Morning!" the cheerful greeting made them turn. 

"Good morning to you too, Botan" Yusuke returned her greeting. 

"So, how are things going?" Botan asked them. 

"Everything's fine so far," Kurama smiled at her, "We'll be going to Makai soon." 

"Oh, I see," she looked down then asked, "Where is Koenma-sama?" 

"We left him there at the garden." 

"Thank you," then she walked away. 

Botan crept up slowly behind Koenma who was standing near the clearing to the forest, staring straight ahead. 

"Koenma-sama…" she called his name softly as she came nearer. 

He turned gently. "What is it Botan?" 

"Nothing," she shrugged, "I heard from Kurama that you're going to Makai." 

"Yes, we'd be going in a little while," he turned towards the clearing once more. 

"I want to come with you." 

"What?!!" Koenma upon hearing Botan turned to face her. 

Botan took a deep breath, "I said I want to come with you. Something about this mission is bugging me and I feel like I have to be there." 

"No, Botan," Koenma shook his head, "You may not come with us. You have to stay here where you'll be safe." 

"Why can't I?" Botan looked at her pleadingly, "Yusuke and the others will be there. You will be there.I'll be safe with all of you around. My heart is telling me that I have to be there. Something is going to happen. I can feel it. Please Koenma-sama, it's very important for me to be there." 

Koenma stepped closer to her, held her shoulders and looked straight into her eye, "Botan, as much as I want you to go with us, I can't let you. Being with the five of us is not a guarantee that we can keep you from harm while we're there. Coming to Makai alone is a great risk, being there for a mission would mean great danger. My heart tells me that you should be here, safe from any harm and it would put my mind at ease knowing that you're in a place where you cannot be hurt." 

"But Koenma…" 

"My answer is final Botan, you may not go with us," he turned and walked away. 

Botan's eyes followed Koenma's retreating back. When he has finally gone out of her eyesight, she bowed her head. _I can't stay here, I have to be there in Makai with him. That's the only way that I can be assured that nothing bad could happen. She took a deep breath and looked straight ahead, "I'm sorry Koenma, but this time, I would have to disobey you." She followed the direction that Koenma took. _

The others were already waiting for him when Koenma arrived at the forest clearing. They are about to use the gateway that would bring them to the Makai. 

"Ready?" Koenma acknowledged them with a question. 

"What took you so long?" Yusuke looked at him inquiringly. 

"I was pondering over something," Koenma tried to evade the question. 

"By the way, Botan was asking about you. Did you see her?" Kurama informed him. 

"Yes, she had to tell me something," he looked away. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kuwabara asked impatiently. 

"Keep your cool will you," Yusuke told him off. 

"Hn, stupid ningen," Hiei mumbled. 

"What did you say?!!" Kuwabara quickly reacted and another word battle started between the two. 

Kurama sighed and rolled his eyes, "Stop it will you. We have some business to do." He spoke as he tried to get the two away from each other. 

"Let's go," Koenma told them after Kurama succeeded in separating Hiei and Kuwabara. 

The five stepped into the gateway, which swallowed them into a new dimension. They didn't notice the slim, blue-haired girl slip into the gateway a while earlier. 

"Well," Yusuke spoke first after seeing all of them have arrived, "here we are." 

"What do we do now?" Kuwabara inquired. 

"We look for Akuma," Kurama looked at him. 

"Hiei, will you use your jagan and try to find her," Koenma glanced at Hiei. 

Hiei on the other hand was already ahead of them. He started to feel forces collecting on his jagan. 

"Someone's staying nearby," he mumbled. 

"Do you think that's Akuma?" Yusuke questioned. 

"I am not sure. I can sense some kind of power, but it is not that great," Hiei answered and turned to gaze at a shrubby corner. The leaves of the plant rustled slightly. 

"I guess we're about to find out soon," Kurama said as they approached the bushes. 

Botan quickly hid herself in the bushes upon stepping into the Makai. 

"Whew, I made it," she sighed to herself. 

This was her idea. If Koenma wouldn't let her come with them then, she would have to take matters into her own hands and sneak into the portal. That way, she can be in Makai without Koenma knowing it. Just then, she heard someone speak. _That's Yusuke, they've already arrived! Don't worry Botan, she assured herself,__ they can't find you. Not if they don't even know you're here. _

"Come out whoever you are!" Botan heard Yusuke shout 

_Oh no, they can't find me, she thought to herself as she held her breath upon hearing footsteps coming towards them. She almost gasped when a pair of hands parted the bushes nearby. _

"Well, what do we have here?" Yusuke, apparently surprised lifted something and faced the others, "It's a cute little raccoon." 

Botan let out a sigh of relief and held on to her crystal. __Oh God, thank you. 

"Why Hiei, I didn't know you had a knack in finding raccoons," Kuwabara told him teasingly. 

"Hn," Hiei turned away folding his arms across his chest. 

"I guess it's a false alarm after all," Kurama shrugged. 

"Yeah, and I think Hiei's jagan didn't work well that time," Kuwabara added in a mocking tone. 

"What did you say!" this time Hiei turned at him. 

"Hey, hey, the two of you, don't start all over again," Yusuke quickly came between the two. 

"Yusuke's right," Koenma turned at them, "We have to keep on going and find Akuma. Time's not on our side. We have to put a stop to her before she gathers more forces." 

Hiei and Kuwabara finally separated. 

"Fine, let's go," Kuwabara walked away. 

Shaking their heads, the others followed him. Hiei looked hesitant. 

Kurama called him, "Come on Hiei, we need to go now." 

Hiei finally followed but kept glancing back at the bushes. He could still feel the power coming from that direction. 

@@@ 

"Why can't we find her?" Yusuke sighed exasperatedly. 

"Beats me," Kuwabara yawned, "ask the one with the jagan," he motioned towards Hiei. 

Amazingly, Hiei didn't respond as if distracted by some presence. 

"We better rest for a while," Koenma voiced out, "We've been walking for hours. There is a possibility that Akuma had created some barrier to keep anyone from finding her premises." 

Before anyone could say another word, Hiei had climbed up a tree and settled on a branch then he looked at the others and said, "Just wake me up if ever you need me." 

As Yusuke and Kuwabara settled down,Kurama approached Koenma. "Is there something bothering you?" he asked after noticing the distracted look on the prince's face. 

Koenma turned to look at him then let out a sigh, "I'm just a bit worried about this mission. We don't know the extent of the abilities that Akuma has and right now, we don't even know where she is, when she'll strike and why." 

"I'm sure we'll find her sooner or later," Kurama tried to assure him. 

"I hope you're right," Koenma responded 

In a cave near the place where Koenma's group was staying, a blonde woman, slim and clad in red velvet robes, possessing attractive features sat on a beautifully carved chair. On her foot a man with graying hair genuflected. 

"Lady Akuma, we have received word that six intruders, five men and a lady have entered Makai and are staying near the cave," the man spoke. 

"Intruders you say, and does anyone know them by any chance?" the woman inquired. 

"I heard from some of our recruits that these men handled their own power and that they had competed in the Ankoku Bojutsukai and that they had won." The man answered, not changing his position. 

"Interesting," the woman raised an eyebrow, "Do you think they pose a threat to us Shinichi?" 

"There is a possibility that they may have been sent here to put a stop to our gathering forces," the man called Shinichi responded while Akuma, upon hearing the reply, straightened from her position. 

"Stand up and come closer," after Shinichi obeyed her orders, Akuma continued, "Now tell me.What made you think that they were sent here to stop me?" 

"My lady, I have gathered from my inquiry that four of the men are in direct contact to the Reikai and they have already been sent in other missions. The other man is the Prince of Reikai himself, Koenma Daiou," Shinichi informed Akuma. 

"The prince huh? And what about the woman, does she have powers too?" Akuma curiously added, obviously intrigued by the information. 

"We do not know the woman. It's somehow strange because she doesn't seem to be travelling with the five men. The moment she arrived, she hid herself and have been following the five secretly eversince," Shinichi willingly replied then asked, "Should we do anything about them?" 

"I don't think there's a need for violence," she drawled and stood up, "I'm sure they're looking for us. I guess it's time for them to meet me in person," Akuma spoke, as adevilish smile formed on her lips. 


	4. Chapter 4

odds 4

A/N: I never have much things to say so from now on, I figured I'd be giving an overview of the chapter. Fight scene is up next and Koenma and Botan fess up. Oh, and don't forget my italics and borders rule.

Disclaimer: Hehe. It seems to me that I've forgotten to include this part last chapter so I just wanna say that this applies to all the succeeding chapters if my scatterbrained self ever forgets again. I do not own Yuyu Hakusho, and it's characters. I only used them up for some creative pasttime so please don't sue. But I do own the three new characters in this fic, mainly Suisho, Akuma and Shinichi.

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 4 

Hiei was trying very hard to sleep. _I'm tired from all the walking and deserve some rest. This tree branch is quite comfortable so what's the problem? Why can't I take even a small nap? He frowned at the thought as he glanced at his 'friends' Kuwabara and Yusuke snoring contentedly down below. __It's that presence I have been sensing all this time. Throughout the whole time since they stepped into the Makai, a certain presence had been following them. It was quite familiar, as if he had encountered who or whatever it was before. He just couldn't place it right because something was quite different about it. He was concentrating on remembering whatever it was when he was startled by a powerful force sensed by his jagan coming right at them. He quickly jumped down from the tree branch, waking Kuwabara and Yusuke from their sleep. _

"Hey! What's your problem?" Kuwabara shouted at Hiei. 

"Someone's coming you moron," Hiei retorted. 

"What's happening here?" Kurama, who was approaching the clearing, followed by Koenma. 

"I have sensed a powerful presence coming towards us," Hiei answered. 

Koenma looked and spoke "Hiei's right. That must be Akuma—" 

But before he could even finish what he was saying, a female interrupted, "So, you already know that I'm coming," Akuma took a step forward, looking at the surprised faces staring at her, "Hmm… you're younger than I had expected. I never thought that the Reikai would send someone as young as you to face my powers. I was expecting someone more… older and more mature. No offense but, I don't think boys like you could handle serious matters such as this one." 

"I assure you that we wouldn't fail your standards when it comes to handling matters such as this, Yusuke took a step forward, 'To tell you the truth, we never fail" he spoke with a small grin at the corners of his mouth. 

Akuma just raised an eyebrow at him and continued, "And you must be the prince," she said as she faced Koenma, "I was surprised when I learned that you were here. I thought royals always stayed in their great castles while letting their subjects face the problems, and pardon me but, why the pacifier?" 

Koenma ignored the question and the audible snickers of his companions and just asked, "Why are you here Akuma? What are your purpose for gathering the beasts of Makai to serve you?" 

"You don't know? Well that's just too bad isn't it? Anyway maybe I'd just tell you since you're about to die anyway." Akuma looked at them mockingly. 

"Don't be too sure about that" Yusuke raised his voice. 

"Are you challenging me?" Akuma looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly. 

"What if I am?" Yusuke answered. 

"Then face my troops and if you can get through, I'll fight you myself," Akuma spoke as she levitated away from the five. The next moment, a group of beasts came towards them. 

The five readied themselves as the dozens of demons and beasts approached.Yusuke's fists flew on the faces of his opponents, making them topple one by one. Kuwabara wrestled against the monsters then striked at them with his rei ken. Kurama used his rose whip as he jumped and lashed at the hideous beasts while Koenma took off his pacifier that sent bursts of light, making the beasts falter. Hiei quickly leapt up and slashed his way through a group of demons with his katana. Yusuke jumped on a huge monster and was beating it up with his powerful punches when he noticed another pack of opponents headed towards them. He quickly raised a hand, index finger aimed carefully and shouted, "REI GAAN!!!" A powerful ball of greenish light emanated from his index finger and slammed right into the group of beasts. 

Not far away from where the raging battle went on, Akuma watched intently as her troops were slowly vanquished by the Reikai tantei. She was running out of followers and of patience. She couldn't believe that her plans were being ruined by these pesky young men. She has to come up with something... and fast. Just then an idea popped into her head. Sure of herself, she summoned Shinichi and whispered something into his ear. When Shinichi turned to leave, a smile has once again formed on Akuma's lips. 

Botan peeked between the bushes from where she was hiding. She stared intently at the scene happening at a distance, trying to hear whatever it was they were saying. After a few minutes she turned her head away. "So this is Akuma… I wonder why she's doing all these," she mumbled to herself. She was thinking of all these when rumbles and loud shouts disturbed her pondering. She quickly peered at the clearing where her friends had rested a while earlier and bit her lip as she saw Kuwabara, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei and Koenma surrounded by awful creatures. 

"Oh no! This can't be!" she uttered in shock. 

She looked on as the fighting continued between the five and the beasts. She would wince occasionally whenever she sees one of them getting hit. In the clearing, shouts can be heard everywhere, as the enemies were punched and beaten up while some had already retreated. She was nervously watching when she suddenly gasped as someone seized her arm. She turned to her captor and saw a beast with a wicked grin on his face. When Botan looked over his shoulder, she was surprised to see an elderly man. Although he had a fierce and determined expression on his face, there was still a hint of gentleness and a little bit of shock in his eyes. Botan was puzzled at the man's expression and at the same time, filled with fear but mustered all her courage to speak up. 

"W-who are you? What do you want with me?" she whispered in a frightened voice while squirming from her position. 

"Let's just say that you will be an offering to our 'queen'. Now if you still want to live, stop fighting me," the beast was the one who answered her in a harsh voice, and then forced her to move when the man motioned for them. 

"Let me go! I don't want to go with you!" Botan shouted as she tried to struggle free from her captor's strong grip. 

"Stay still before I lose my patience with you!" the beast hissed at her as it tightened grip even more that her bones almost broke. 

The elderly man then intervened. "I don't think there wouldn't be any need for us to hurt her," the man told the beast then, facing Botan spoke, "Now lady, if you don't want to die, which I'm sure you are, you wouldn't dare try to escape. Now we must go to the Lady Akuma." 

In the clearing, the five men watched as their opponents fell one by one. Koenma then looked upwards to Akuma and proudly said, "We have beaten your troops Akuma! It is now time to face your defeat." 

"That is one thing that I could never do," Akuma replied, her eyes narrowing. Without warning, she raised her hand towards the five and sent a force that made them topple backwards. 

"You are really trying my patience Akuma," Yusuke mumbled and then aimed his index finger at her. He was ready to fire his rei gan when Akuma interrupted. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Yusuke. Not if you don't want this lady here to die." Akuma spoke, an evil glint in her eye and motioned with her hand. A beast appeared beside her, clutching Botan tightly in his arms. 

"BOTAN!!!" the men shouted in surprise. 

"Botan! What are you doing here?!" Koenma shouted at her, his face full of concern. 

"Koenma— uummpph…" Botan tried to speak but the beast's hands quickly covered her mouth. She kicked and tried to force herself free but to no avail. 

"Fools! And you think I would send all my troops to fight you without having a back-up plan?" 

"What are you going to do with her?" Koenma demanded. 

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of keeping her for insurance… she'll be keeping me safe from you until I finish whatever plans I have, then, after she serves her purpose, I'll decide her fate." Akuma answered, pretending to study her nails, as if not caring. 

"You just can't take anyone you like and play with them like a toy! Whatever you have in mind, leave Botan out of it," Koenma said in a determined tone. His face was displaying an array of mixed emotions. 

"I CAN and I WILL!" Akuma answered forcefully, " But tell me, you're really worried aren't you my dear prince?" Akuma spoke with a sly smile, "Who is this lady? She seems very important to you," she slowly approached Botan and stroked her cheeks. As she did, she glanced at Koenma and spoke, "She's quite a beauty, isn't she? Hmm… does she happen to be your princess?" 

For a while, Koenma was taken aback by the question but was also able to recover, he looked at Akuma then moved his gaze to Botan. Looking straight to her eyes, he answered, "What if I say that she is my princess and that she occupies a great portion of my heart…" 

His companions were astonished by this revelation. They had occasionally teased Koenma and Botan but they never thought that it was true. 

Botan froze in her captor's arms upon hearing Koenma's words. Her eyes widened and tears threatened to flow on her face. She stared into the hazel depths of Koenma's eyes, trying to probe the truth in his words. They gazed at each other, their eyes conveying their thoughts and emotions. Realizing the truth in his eyes, Botan struggled and bit the hand of her captor covering her mouth. Surprised and hurt, the beast released his hold. With this, Botan shouted, "Koenma! I love you too!" 

Koenma's eyes brightened for a while but once again narrowed. The beast had seized Botan. Infuriated by what she did, the beast held her tighter making her wince in pain. Koenma stepped closer, "Don't you dare hurt her," he spoke in a harsh tone. Anger can be detected in his voice. 

Akuma keenly observed what was happening around her with interest then spoke, "You sure picked a nice time and place to profess your love to this woman. Anyway that's the least of my concerns right now," She turned to the beast, "Loosen up your hold on the 'princess'. We do not want to suffer from the anger of her prince and friends, do we? Besides I wouldn't want to hurt the person that could stop these men," as the beast slowly relaxed his grip on Botan, Akuma faced the five," You were asking me about my intentions for gathering Makai's forces earlier, weren't you? Well, now I'm ready to share with you what I have in mind." 

"You think we're still interested with what you have to say?" Kuwabara exclaimed, clearly incensed by Akuma, "Well I don't want to hear any of your stories." 

Kurama moved towards Kuwabara, laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered "Calm yourself Kuwabara. Let her talk. That way, we might find out more about her and her weaknesses. Besides, it would buy us time to plan how we could rescue Botan." 

Kurama faced Akuma and said, "Tell us what you will." 

"Perhaps you already know of my history with Queen Suisho; how I served her, planned a rebellion against her and finally how she locked me up in a freezing sphere from which I was set free by one of her most loyal subjects," Akuma stole a quick look at Shinichi then continued, "What you didn't know was my reason for doing just that. Well I'm going to tell you. I have served her for a long time and throughout my service, I have seen how well she was treated, how much the people served her, how much power she had that with just one clap, with one signal, one motion, she could decide the fate not only of one person but one whole empire," she paused and took a deep breath, "And there I was, standing at her right hand, making sure that her wishes were kept. I couldn't help myself from thinking that I could be there in her position. I could be the woman calling the shots, ruling the whole empire, and the thought of being able to do all that have made realized one thing. A thing that had driven me to do all that I have done. I want to be the queen," Akuma poured out all her thoughts, dreams and plans that she had kept inside her for so many years, "I wanted to have all the power that she has and maybe even more. And why not? I was just as talented, as brilliant as she is. I could easily do everything that she has done. I'm just as good as her when it comes to leadership." Akuma let all her pent up emotions spill out. She talked with such conviction in her voice and relayed her story with great vigor that it was as if all of them could see everything right before their eyes. 

"That's it? That's why you plotted a rebellion and the reason why you're here in Makai trying to get hold of all the beasts and demons that you can have?" Yusuke exclaimed incredulously. 

"Yes, that's the reason why," she answered, "Maybe to you, it seems feeble but to me it's not. I have thought and worked hard just to get what I want and I won't let just anyone to ruin my plans," with that Akuma and what's left of her followers fled, bringing Botan with them.

A/N: How was that? comments please. Mail me at seiyo@fushigiyuugi.net 


	5. Chapter 5

About us


	6. Chapter 6

odds6

A/N: I've been reading the past chapters and I observed that I had the fancy for having all the characters thoughts, actions and speech in one REALLY long sentence. Did you notice that? Well, is that good or bad? Anyways, we're not here to talk about my writing style so lets get on with the fic. I particularly have a confrontation scene in mind.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned them, but unfortunately, I do not.

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 6 

Inside one of the caverns in Akuma's place, the struggling Botan was shoved into a corner by a beast. She drew in her breath in pain as she landed hard on the floor, her back hitting the cavern wall. The beast drew near her and reached out a hand, but she quickly moved away. 

"Touchy, eh? Lucky you… if Akuma didn't have any plans for you, I would already be able to do what I want," he took a greedy look at her, "Anyway, it won't be long 'til we get rid of those friends of yours and then I'll be asking Akuma for you as my prize," he turned and left. 

_I'm sorry Koenma… if only I had done what you told me. Botan took a deep breath and bit her lip to hold back tears. __You've got to be strong Botan. You've got to get out of here and help them out there. Just hang in there, you can make it. She tried to loosen the ropes that bound her hands behind her. Her feet were also tied up and a cloth covered her mouth.She wiggled in her place trying to move herself nearer to the wall. When she'd done that, she proceeded to search for jagged parts of the wall and scoured the ropes against it, hoping that the friction would wear the ropes out. After some minutes, her hands were already sore and wounds were starting to form on her wrists due to all the rubbing. Out of the cavern entrance, the elder man, Shinichi came in. When he saw what she was doing, he dashed to her, "Stop that, you'd get yourself hurt," he held her hand to stop her from inflicting more wounds to her self. _

Hastily, he freed her hands then removed the cover from her mouth. 

"Why are you doing this?" Botan immediately asked Shinichi who was then loosening the ropes at her feet. 

"Doing what?" he glanced at her 

"Helping me, that's what," Botan answered, massaging her sore wrists and ankles. 

Sitting in front of her, Shinichi replied, "I'm doing what I have to do." 

"I don't understand," Botan looked at her with a confused expression, "Did Akuma order you to do this?" 

"No," he shook his head making Botan even more confused, "I only follow the real queen. I did this because she gave me a sign," He reached out and tugged Botan's necklace with the crystal attached to it, "You are the chosen one." 

"What do you mean? How did I become the chosen one?" she moved her head sideways and told him, "this is all too confusing." 

"I will explain," Shinichi moved to face her, "Queen Suisho was the only Queen that I believed in. She had ruled well during our time and made wise decisions, but I didn't quite approve of her locking up Akuma. For me, it would be better for her to be dead. So when Queen Suisho had died and her throne was given to someone else, I left my service and went to look for the sphere. I have decided to end Akuma's life before she's set free and her greed and jealousy gets the best of her. I managed to use my power to keep my strength from deteriorating so I'd live longer to find her, but when I finally did, I didn't have enough power to destroy her myself and so, she ruled over me," he paused and took a good look at her, "And you, you are the answer to all that is happening here. When Queen Suisho was still alive, I was not only her loyal subject but was also her friend and confidante and we both knew each other's feelings and opinions. Just before she took her last breath, she had told me that I shouldn't worry about Akuma, that when the time comes, she would find someone to stop Akuma's evil plans. She showed me one of her most precious belongings, a crystal given to her by his beloved father. Through all the years, it lent her all the strength and courage she needed. And when she passed away, the crystal glowed with an inner light like her pure and untarnished soul. That crystal… is the same crystal that you're wearing around your neck right now…" when he finished, he stood up and offered his hand to Botan whose eyes were wide and gleaming. With his aid, she picked herself up. 

"You loved her didn't you…" it was more of a statement than a question. 

"Yes," Shinichi confirmed Botan's suspicion, "and I'm doing all of these for her. Even if she had reassured me about Akuma, I had to make sure. Now we must go." He led Botan out of the cavern; they were already near the opening of the cave when a beast came from behind them. 

"Where do you think you're going?" the beast spoke harshly as it charged at them. 

Shinichi quickly took a sword and raised it forward, stopping the beast in its tracks. 

"You traitor!" the beast shouted fiercely at Shinichi then attacked. Shinichi tried to defend both of them but his old age had made him weaker through the years. The beast lashed at him with its claws. 

"No!" Botan screamed. Just then, the crystal glowed brightly and a single flash of light headed for the beast, burning it to ashes. Botan ran over to Shinichi's side. He had a deep wound on his chest, near his heart. Botan ripped a piece of her clothing and tried to stop it from bleeding but Shinichi raised a hand to stop her. 

"No… you must leave now," He gazed at her face. 

"B-but what about you?" Botan's eyes were wide with fear and concern. 

"My time has come and there's nothing that could stop it… Now, go! Please, you must stop her and save your friends… I have done all that I have to do… My spirit will guide you, and so will Suisho's… Leave me now and do what you are chosen for…" Shinichi's voiced trailed of with the wind. Botan shed a tear and headed towards the cave entrance. 

Just before going out, she looked back and said, "I won't let you down Shinichi… I'll finish what you came here for…"

Koenma reached the clearing just in time to see Kuwabara being thrown off by the force field that Akuma had created around her. 

"What's happening? Where's Botan?" Koenma shot at them. 

"Well, your friend here got very impatient, not to mention impulsive and attacked me," Akuma pointed at Kuwabara, "He doesn't know how to treat a woman with respect, does he?" 

"Not when that woman is someone like you," Kuwabara spat at her. 

Akuma raised an eyebrow at him, "Well, now he learned his lesson the hard way. And about your princess…" she said facing Koenma, "Let's say she's well kept by my followers someplace." 

"I'm gonna finish you and get her back," Yusuke uttered. 

"Uh, uh. If you kill me, you'll never know where I hid her," Akuma gave him a devilish smile, "You can't do anything…" As she spoke, a dark ball radiated from her hand 

Not far away, Botan ran as fast as she can through the woods, the crystal glowing in her hand, scorching all the monsters that came into her path. She could hear the voices up ahead. 

Hiei suddenly turned, "Someone's coming," he mumbled. 

The others felt it too and reverted their attention to the foliage at their side. Akuma took the chance and raised her hand, ready to throw the ball of energy she generated. 

Botan made her way through the dense bushes up front and came out into the clearing, stunning the five men. She saw Akuma throw the dark ball. 

"Nooo!" Botan yelled. Before anyone else could react, a flash of light coming from the crystal went straight for the ball of energy that Akuma hurled at them. Upon contact the dark ball exploded flinging them off their feet. 

"I won't let you get away with this," the incensed Akuma picked herself up and glared at Botan. As she did, she uttered a cry and a huge falcon came swooping down at them. It grabbed Botan with its claws and flew away with her. 

"What was that?" Yusuke rubbed his head as he recovered. His vision focused on the feathered creature, "Oh no, Botan!" 

He ran after the falcon, the others right behind him. 

"We won't be able to catch up with it," Kuwabara voiced. 

"And we can't attack it either, it may drop Botan," Hiei spoke 

Kurama transformed to his youkai form and quickly fashioned wings made out of plants. He lifted off, resolved to bring Botan back safely. But the falcon just flew faster, making it harder for Kurama to catch up. 

"You bitch! Give her back!" Koenma demanded angrily at Akuma. 

"I don't think so," with that, she gave another shrill cry. They watched in horror as the falcon increased the distance between him and Kurama and slowly let go of Botan. 

Botan's eyes widened as she felt the creature's claws move under her. 

"Oh God, please help me," tears spilled from her eyes, "please don't let me die…" 

She clutched the crystal to her heart as she felt the last support give way as the falcon completely let her go. She closed her eyes tight as she waited for her body to hit the ground, ending her life, but it didn't happen. Instead, a bright light enveloped her… A voice spoke and a vision of a beautiful woman in white filled her mind… _I am Suisho… For years, I have waited to find someone worthy to carry out my resolution once the right time comes. I have locked my soul in this crystal to make certain that my people and the generations after them would be taken care of. That time has come and I have chosen you to carry out my wish. I know that you have spoken to my beloved Shinichi… All that he had said is true. Please help us… Save your friends and all the other people from Akuma. I will guide you through all that you have to do… You may say yes…or no. I leave you to choose for yourself and for the fate of the people… _

"Noooo!" It was Koenma's turn to yell as the gigantic creature released Botan from its hold. He ran faster, but was stopped from his tracks as a brilliant sphere surrounded Botan, breaking her fall and protecting her inside. As sphere went down slowly, Koenma, his eyes fixed on the orb, ran forward. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei followed him. They arrived on a clearing surrounded by a cliff on its edge. Kurama had flown down and joined them. They watched, dazed and confused at this new development as the sphere made its way down and settled slowly on land. In the center of it, Botan stood, her shirt and pants gone, replaced by a white empire cut dress, flowing gracefully down to her feet. Her eyes were closed; her long blue hair, hung loose on her shoulders, was gently moving with the light breeze that surrounded her. As her feet touched the ground the crystal in her hand glowed, the sphere disappeared, and she opened her eyes. 

Akuma recovered from her shock upon seeing Botan and spoke, her voice ful of wrath, "Suisho… This is all her doing." 

"Yes," Botan affirmed, hew voice serene, catching everyone's attention, "She has chosen me to put a stop to all your lunacy." 

"Is that what she called it?" Akuma replied with an edge in her voice, "Well, I think it's called intelligence. And do you really think that I'd let you do that easily?" Akuma retorted indignantly as she sent a blast of dark power towards Botan. 

"Botan, move away!" Yusuke yelled at her. 

Despite the warning, Botan stood still. As the blast came, a barrier formed in front of her, shielding her from its destructive power. 

Enraged, Akuma mumbled with spite in her voice, "I'm going to make you suffer; after that, I will destroy all of you. Then I will proceed to rule the whole world." She clenched her fist then hurled a powerful ball at the five men. Botan hurled an orb of her own to counter it. The explosion it caused literally threw them off their feet. 

Hiei recovered fast and faced Akuma, sending dagger-like glares at her, "Jaou… ensatsu…"Hiei's bandages were shed off and a dark fire formed on his palm, "KOKORYUHAAA!!!" 

The black dragon headed for Akuma, who built a dark sphere around her. The dragon hit the barrier. Akuma then, with an enraged cry, sent a powerful ball that tore it in half. 

Yusuke stepped forward and aimed his index finger at Akuma, "REI GAANNN!!!" the powerful spirit ball collided with the sphere then exploded. 

"Fools! Nothing can penetrate my powerful shield!" Inside the sphere, Akuma laughed almost insanely. She then raised her arms and started concentrating her power into another dark ball. 

"You were just envy of Queen Suisho and you wanted to prove to everyone that you're just as good as she can be," Kurama cried out, hoping to distract Akuma, "But she's not here anymore and neither does her empire exist. Why are you still doing this?" 

"You don't understand," Akuma spoke bitterly, "Queen Suisho may not be alive, and neither does her empire exist but there is still the whole world. Even though I wouldn't be able to laugh to her face once I have conquered Ningenkai, I'd still be able to prove that I'm just as good as her. Besides, that's not just what I want. I want to be the queen, to have the power that she once had in her hands, to be served by all, to rule above all else," she paused and looked at them, "But you've ruined all my plans and I could never forgive that." 

"I pity you Akuma!" Botan cried out, "Not only are you a lunatic, but you also have a twisted idea of leadership," she took a deep breath and continued, "You do not deserve to be a leader much more a queen," she said, puctuating the last word. "And even if you become one, you will never experience how it is to rule just as Queen Suisho had because you do not have the qualities she has. Can't you see? Her reign had been a glorious one because she had always thought of her people and not herself. Because of her service, she gave up her happiness with the one she loved most. Even in her death, she thought of her people, that's why she sealed her soul in this crystal instead of letting herself have her peace," as Botan spoke, the crystal glowed brighter and floated above her hands, "She was even kind to you. Why do you think didn't she end your life when you have tried to get rid of her? She had cared for you, that even if you had brought her so much heartache, she decided to give you another chance, hoping that you'll change. She was so unselfish, that's why the people loved her and served her. While you, you don't even think about anything but yourself. How can you be a good leader when you're so greedy?" Botan continued, her voice steadfast in the air, "You may be as intelligent and brilliant as her, but you can never surpass the love and kindness she had in her heart… and I can never let you rule the world," she said with determination. 

A softness momentarily passed Akuma's eyes as Botan's words hit home but, after a fleeting second, her expression hardened once more, "You have no right to say those words to me! I will never let you stop me!" her eyes blazed with fierce anger as she cast the ball to Botan. 

As the ball traveled the distance between them, Botan surrounded Koenma and the others with a sphere. Then, Botan stretched her arms, great power emanating from them. 

A sudden realization hit Koenma, "No Botan, You can't! You might die!" 

Botan looked at them, tears were spilling from her eyes, nonethe less, a firm resolve can be detected from them, "You have been great friends… thank you for everything…" 

"No... Botan, please don't," Koenma gazed at her pleadingly, but as he looked in her eyes, prodded to the depths of her soul, he knew that there was nothing more he could do, "I love you…" 

"I'm sorry Koenma, but I HAVE to do this," Botan gave her a wistful smile, "I love you too…" she whispered then faced Akuma. 

A powerful stream of light burst forth her hands, sending gusts of wind around her. The dark ball of power collided with the brilliant stream. For a while, the two forces battled in the center. It was taking all their efforts to outdo each other, while the Reikai tantei and the crowned prince watched in their confines, unable to do anything.

Botan gave a heartbreaking scream as she used all her strength, power and energy until the steady stream of light pushed the ball towards Akuma. 

"BOTAAANNN!!!" Koenma cried. He tried to reach out, but the transparent sphere hindered him from doing so. 

Their cries were dissolved in the air as Akuma was thrown off and a blinding flash of light surrounded all of them…

A/N: Cliffhangers anyone? What d'ya think would happen? Well, this turned out to be my longest chapter before and after I've edited and revised this fic. I'm really glad that I've already finished this chapter. One or two chapters more and I'm done with this. I'll gladly appreciate any feedback from you guys. 


	7. Chapter 7

odds7

A/N: So what happens to Botan and Koenma? Some mush right ahead. Character's thoughts are italicized.

Disclaimer: Yuyu Hakusho does not belong to me nor any of its characters. I just own Akuma, Suisho and Shinichi.

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 7 

Koenma's senses awakened to the sound of birds chirping. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a soft drizzle in the early dawn, bringing back memories of what happened earlier. 

_Botan… He sat up abruptly, his eyes wandering around, looking for something. Then he caught a glimpse of the white dress. It was not far away from where he was sitting. He hurried towards it. _

His heart ached at what he saw. There, lying on the ground was Botan, her dress soiled and tattered, her hair was a mess, and on her arms and legs, bruises were beginning to darken. 

He dropped to his knees at her side and cradled her in his arms. He stroked her hair and her cheeks. 

"Botan..." he whispered to her ear, "Botan it's me, Koenma… wake up…" 

Nothing. 

"Botan… please open your eyes," he rocked her gently. Still nothing. 

Koenma bent his head, laying it on her chest. He listened, then his eyes lit up. There it was, the faint beating of her heart… he could hear it. 

"Botan, come on!" he rocked her harder, "Wake up will you." But her eyes won't open and neither did she move. There was only the sound of her even breathing. 

A hand touched Koenma's shoulder. He looked over, his eyes filling with tears "Kurama…" 

Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara gathered around. 

"She's done what she had to do…" It was Hiei who spoke first. 

"She's still alive," Koenma informed them. 

"But she has used up all her energy to fight Akuma," with sad eyes Kurama continued, "it's a miracle that she's even alive, but she may never wake up…" 

"I admire her courage," Kuwabara mumbled. 

"Yes, she has given everything she had… even if it might mean her life," Yusuke sighed, his eyes also beginning to water. 

There was deafening silence as moments passed. Around them, the parched soil and the fallen trees lay as the only proof of the great power unleashed hours ago. 

"What will you do now?" the question came from Kurama. 

Koenma looked down at Botan. _What do I do now? His eyes widened as a glint of light caught his eye. Botan was clutching something in her hand. He reached out, opened her palm, and was surprised to see the crystal right there on her hand. He closed his eyes. __Is this a sign? He looked up to the heavens. The rain has stopped and the first rays of the sun, peeking out of the clouds stung his eyes. Across the skies a colorful bow appeared. A sign of hope. _

When Koenma moved his gaze back to Botan's face, faith and determination can be detected in his eyes. He gathered up Botan in his arms and stood up. 

"Our mission is over. I will bring her back to Reikai" 

He walked back to the forest, the four men following right behind him. 

@@@ 

The man opened the door to the room. His eyes focused on the woman lying on the bed, peacefully asleep. It has been a good eight months now, yet Botan still hasn't moved a single budge. 

Koenma walked in and settled on the side of the bed, his hand brushed a few stray hairs from Botan's face then grasped her hand. He just arrived from Ningenkai taking care of business for his father, the great Enma Daiou, then he dropped off to see Yusuke and the others, informing them of Botan's condition. It has been like that for quite some time. Whenever he arrived from his trips or after he had finished all his work, he would drop by her room, stay there until it's time to sleep, sometimes even spendthe whole night there, hoping to see some progress in her condition. Akuma's case had been rendered finished. 

He remembered the day when they came back. George came out to meet them and seeing Botan, gasped and panicked. Everyone was shocked by what had happened, even his father. Since then, Botan had laid motionless in this room. Nevertheless, they took care of her. 

Time passed steadily. Koenma gazed at Botan. _She looks so calm and serene in her sleep. Stroking her cheek, he sighed. He sorely missed Botan's smiles and cheerful laughter. _

"Botan… I don't know if you can hear me," he paused to bring her hand to his lips, "I just want to say that I believe that someday, you'll wake up and come back to me, and that I'll be here waiting for that day to come... Even if it might mean a lifetime of waiting, I'll always be with you. I will always love you…" Koenma whispered softly to her ear, his voice soothing and earnest. For months, he hadn't spoken of what he felt, even though most people had known of it. He had only stared at her sleeping figure silently. Now, being able to talk to her. Telling her how much he loved her, even if she doesn't respond is like a release from all pain and burden inside his heart. 

He bent down to kiss her and was ready to leave when he felt a gentle press on his hand. Surprised, he looked down. He was still holding Botan's hand in his. Wide eyed, he moved his gaze to her face. His eyes lit up as he saw Botan's eyes flutter and open. 

"Botan…" he uttered her name. 

"Koenma?" Botan was looking at him, staring at his hazel eyes. 

Overcome with joy, Koenma quickly hugged her, "Botan… you're awake…" 

Botan's eyes softened at Koenma's reaction and hugged him back, tears coming to her eyes, "I'm back… I-I was dreaming. Suisho, she was there in my dream. Her and Shinichi. And then... I heard you," she sighed and hugged him tighter, "I love you too Koenma. And I promise, no matter what happens, I'll never leave your side again…" 

Koenma pulled away, gazed into the depths of her eyes then took her face between his hands, "I will never let anyone take you away from me. I love you…" 

"I love you too…" Botan answered back. 

Their lips met in a kiss, full of passion as they poured into it their pent up emotions. A kiss,a seal to their promise of love, surrounding them with a force more powerful than anything in the universe.

A/N: This fic's almost finished. One final chapter remaining. 


	8. Chapter 8

oddsep

A/N: Final chapter of my fic. By the way, just so you won't get confused, We're reverting back to the time when Botan and Koenma are already married.

Disclaimer: Okay, since this is the last chapter, I figured I'd have to do this properly. Yuyu Hakusho and it's characters do not belong to me. 

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Epilogue 

It was a typical Sunday afternoon in Botan and Koenma's house. They had the gang over to enjoy lunch with them. Koenma was hanging out in the garden with Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and of course, Hiei! Botan on the other hand was on the porch, enjoying a nice talk with Yukina, Shizuru and Keiko over tea. 

Botan relaxed on her seat, listening to Keiko talk. She had woken with a backache this morning. 

Botan drew in a sharp breath, her hands resting on her abdomen as she felt the first contraction. 

"Botan, are you alright?" Yukina asked. 

"Don't worry, everything's fine," she reassured Yukina with a smile, timing her contraction mentally as her doctor instructed. 

She looked over at where Koenma was laughing heartily, probably to one of Yusuke's jokes. 

"Koenma," Botan called softly. 

Koenma turned a smiling face to her, his expression changing upon taking in her pale face. He dashed to her side, dropping down beside her chair. 

"What is it sweetheart?" a concerned look was on his face. The others had followed him. 

"I think…" she answered slowly, "the contractions have started." 

The color was flushed from Koenma's face as he heard her words. He looked down to her tummy. As he did, Botan's hand tightened on his arm as another contraction hit her. 

"Botan!" Koenma took both of her hands. 

After the contraction had passed, Koenma stood up, "My God! We have to go to the hospital." He looked over his shoulder and ordered, "Yusuke, Kurama, please get the car ready." 

"We'll get her things ready," Yukina, Keiko and Shizuru offered. 

Koenma nodded at them and turned to Botan, "I'm going to call your doctor," he motioned at Kuwabara to come with him. 

Hiei was the only one left at the porch as the others hurried to do their errands. He shook his head, as he looked at Botan who was left there in her seat, suffering from another contraction. 

"Ningens are so stupid," he muttered under his breath as he came to Botan's aid. 

A moment later, the van drove up the driveway. Everyone hurried in. Botan eyed Koenma as he strode to the waiting vehicle. 

"Can I come too?" she asked. 

He swung around instantly, "Botan! I'm so sorry!" 

He swept her up in his arms and carried her gently to the van, holding her like a delicate piece of China. 

When they drew up in front of the hospital, she giggled at Koenma's twisted expression. _Anyone would think he was in labor! She thought in amusement. _

Koenma carried her in his arms and, followed by their friends, marched into the hospital and didn't stop until they reached the nurse's desk. 

"My wife is having a baby," Koenma informed a nurse sternly, making Botan giggle once more. 

The nurse ordered for a wheel chair, and Botan was brought into the maternity ward, Koenma at her side. 

Their doctor met them there, and as Botan was wheeled into the labor room, convinced Koenma that he could not go with her. 

"Unless, of course, you're in labor too," the doctor concluded, smiling. 

Koenma was left with the others in the waiting room. He paced around and flinched every time he would hear Botan scream. 

He had circled the room exactly five hundred and sixteen times when Botan's doctor came out. 

Koenma hurried to him, "Why is it taking so long? Is there something wrong?" he shot questions at the doctor worriedly. 

"There's nothing wrong. Botan's very healthy," the doctor assured him happily, taking in the number of people gathering behind Koenma, "You have a healthy baby boy." 

Koenma sighed with relief and behind him, Kurama, Yusuke, Keiko, Hiei, Yukina, Kuwabara and Shizuru exchanged happy smiles then faced Koenma. 

"Congratulations!" 

"You may see them now," the doctor told him. 

Koenma stepped inside the room, sat beside Botan and gazed at their baby. 

"He's so cute," Botan spoke first. 

"He's got your hair," Koenma told her. 

"And your eyes," Botan replied. 

"I'm so happy I couldn't ask for anything for more," Koenma looked into Botan's eyes, "I have you and our child." He kissed Botan's lips and hugged her and their baby close to him. =) 

A/N: So there goes my first shot as a fanfic writer. Comments? Suggestions? Whatever? Sincerely, I do hope you enjoyed my fanfic even just a little bit. Although I don't think it's as good as other fanfiction out there, I'm proud of it. So, to all of you who have read this fic. Thank you. Just tell me what you think of it. I have lots of room in my mail for creative criticism. Just mail me at either of the three: [seiyo@hotmail.com][1], [seiyo@fushigiyuugi.net][2], [seiyo@flameofrecca.zzn.com][3]. Ja! 

Seiyo^_^

   [1]: mailto:seiyo@hotmail.com
   [2]: mailto:seiyo@fushigiyuugi.net
   [3]: mailto:seiyo@flameofrecca.zzn.com



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